Embassy in Stockholm

Dear compatriots and friends of Belgium,  

As the year draws to a close, I would would like to take this opportunity to wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy 2026.

I would also like to thank you for the warm welcome that I received upon my arrival from Singapore in August. I extend the same thanks to my Latvian colleagues and friends who are helping me to be effective as non- resident ambassador in Latvia.

Reflecting on the past months, there were many ups and downs to note. Of course, the beautiful ceremony of the accreditation and the official audience with His Majesty Carl XVI Gustaf brought, the awareness, if needed, that it is indeed an honor and a privilege to serve Belgium in the Kingdom of Sweden. Our King’s Day on 14 November was a big success, graced by Minister of State, Anna Dahlberg and State Secretary for Climate and Environment, Daniel Westlén. This joyful event underlined the strong Belgium-Swedish relations, consolidated by centuries of cooperation and by the family ties between our respective royal families. Today, we look together to the future and put in place partnerships in sustainability, innovation and R&D. The positive evolution of our bilateral industrial, economic and academic cooperations is reflected by the growing number of Belgians choosing to live in Sweden. I am proud of their dynamism and achievements. This growing network of people to people contacts is a wonderful asset, strengthening our mutual understanding and friendship.

When we consider the brutality and cruelty of the aggression war led by Russia against Ukraine, a sense of gravity and urgency dominates. 2026 will be a decisive year for all Ukrainians and for the security architecture of Europe. In 2025, Belgium has been moving on to step up its military and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine; our efforts will steadily increase in 2026. Like never before, the European Union and its Member States face geopolitical shifts and new challenges : the need to be responsible for their own defense, to seek resilient supply chains and to take measures to assure their competitiveness.

 The “team Belgium” in Stockholm is now in full swing: it is composed by the political and consular sections, our colleagues of AWEX, FIT and hub.brussels, the delegates of the Governments of Flanders and of the Community of Wallonia and Brussels, and our precious honorary Consulates in Gothenburg and Malmö and Riga. In our specific domain of responsibilities, we are all committed to delivering quality services and make Belgium shine.

Come the Christmas time, we therefore wish you an excellent 2026, a good health and happiness with your dear ones, here or abroad.

Colette Taquet
Ambassador